by Matt - US Soccer Daily

Soccer junkies couldn’t ask for more this weekend, as MLS conference finals, World Cup qualifiers, and marquee friendlies all combine for one spectacular Saturday. So get in front of your TV, get your laptop ready, and spend your Saturday on the couch taking it all in. Here’s what I’ll be watching (and my predictions that are sure to be wrong):


Friday, 11:25 PM ET – Galaxy v. Dynamo

So technically this starts today, but with the bulk of it being played in the wee hours of Saturday morning, it can’t be ignored. The two best teams from the West made it through the first round and will now square off for a spot in the MLS Cup final. Landon Donovan’s torrid run of form has spanned essentially the entire summer and is now covering most of the fall, as he shows no signs of slowing down. He’ll have to tangle with a stingy Houston defense that was able to keep Seattle off the score sheet for 210 minutes of first round play. The Dynamo will be without backline regular Mike Chabala due to yellow card accumulation.

Prediction: Galaxy win and move on to the MLS Cup final. MLS and ESPN officials rejoice that David Beckham will be in the league’s biggest game of the year.


Saturday, 2:00 AM ET- New Zealand v. Bahrain

For the insomniacs out there, tune in to the second leg of the OFC-AFC playoff. Everything is up for grabs in this one, as the first leg finished in a 0-0 draw in Bahrain. New Zealand have looked like a much more confident side since the Confederations Cup, where they earned a draw against Iraq for their first ever point in a senior FIFA competition. Because of away goals, Bahrain can advance with a win or a non-scoreless draw. A sold-out Westpac Stadium will be supporting the Kiwis, who will be looking to get back to the World Cup for the first time since their lone appearance in 1982.

Prediction: New Zealand win in dramatic fashion to move on to South Africa.


Saturday, 10:00 AM ET- USA v. Slovakia

With qualification secured, the whole process of trimming and finalizing the roster begins in earnest, with Saturday’s match in Bratislava serving as the first test for some fringe players brought into camp. Eddie Johnson and Jeff Cunningham will try to wow Bob Bradley and fill some of the void left by Charlie Davies’ unfortunate injury, while Chad Marshall, Jimmy Conrad, and Clarence Goodson will all be vying for the starting centerback spot next to Carlos Bocanegra. With several dangerous players in the attack, Slovakia will provide a solid test for whoever gets the nod.

Prediction: USA 2 – Slovakia 1. The US will concede a goal due to some backline unfamiliarity, but they’ll pull out the win thanks to a goal from one of the forwards mentioned above that will surely send the message board world into a state of chaos.


Saturday, 12:30 PM ET- Algeria v. Egypt

You could choose to watch the England-Brazil friendly in Qatar at noon, but with much more on the line, I’ll be tuned into some CAF qualifying in Cairo. Algeria have a 3 point lead and +4 goal differential advantage over Egypt heading into this one. Egypt can move on by winning by 3 goals or more, while Algeria can lose by 1, draw, or win to make it to their first World Cup since 1986. If Egypt wins by 2, the two sides will square off in a one match playoff in Sudan next Wednesday to see who moves on.

Prediction: It would be really dramatic and intense if these two teams did play a playoff on Wednesday, but I think Algeria will get the necessary result on Saturday and book their ticket to South Africa. The Algerians have only allowed 2 goals in 5 third round matches and no more than 1 in any game, so it will be a tall task for the Pharaohs to make up the goal differential.


Saturday, 3:00 PM ET- Ireland v. France

France have been underwhelming to say the least in UEFA qualification, but lucky for them they have FIFA to give them a boost, which came in the form of the much-publicized, oft-criticized playoff seeding system. Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland squad will have a huge chip on their shoulder and some confidence that they can play with the big boys after narrowly missing out on a home win against Italy last month.

Prediction: Ireland win. Although I am still angered by FIFA’s decision to seed the playoffs and still think it was a cheap way to sully the integrity of the competition, I’m making this prediction with my head, not my heart. Ireland’s display against Italy showed that they can hang with the elite, and they have plenty of extra motivation heading into their home leg.


Saturday, 3:30 PM ET- Portugal v. Bosnia and Herzegovina

If you choose to watch the Ireland-France match, you can at least catch the final half hour or so of this game. It seems that the fates are conspiring against the Portuguese, who will now be without Cristiano Ronaldo thanks to an ankle injury that he aggravated in last month’s qualifier against Hungary. So despite FIFA’s best efforts, qualifying for the World Cup will still be very difficult for Portugal. Bosnia and Herzegovina have several talented strikers, including Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko, who will likely cause some problems for the opposing defense. The match will be played in Lisbon.

Prediction: Draw. Portugal have not been dominant at home, dropping points in scoreless draws with Albania and Sweden and losing to Denmark. Their offense will surely suffer some without Ronaldo in the lineup.


Saturday, 8:00 PM ET- Chicago Fire v. Real Salt Lake

Last year, it was Real Salt Lake who were ousted in the conference final by a streaky lower seed playing in the wrong conference, as New York stunned them at Rio Tinto to move on to the MLS Cup. Jason Kreis and company will try to play that role of spoiler this time around when they head to Toyota Park to take on the Fire. Expect another sell-out and passionate crowd similar to the one that took in the second leg of the Fire’s first round tie with New England.

Prediction: Fire win. RSL will try valiantly to keep their run alive, but Blanco, Pappa, and McBride will prove to be too much to handle. Elsewhere, MLS and ESPN officials will resume rejoicing after finding out the Cuauhtemoc Blanco will also be making the trip to Seattle for a matchup featuring the league’s 3 biggest stars and 2 biggest international attractions.


Saturday, 9:00 PM ET- Costa Rica v. Uruguay

Costa Rica will host the Uruguayans, who find themselves in an inter-continental playoff for the third consecutive qualifying cycle. Expect the turf and raucous environment at Estadio Saprissa to play a huge role in this game, two things that the South American side has probably never seen anything quite like. After their collapse at the end of the USA match, the Ticos will be looking to get a leg up in the first match in an effort to become the fourth CONCACAF side headed to South Africa.

Prediction: Costa Rica win. Though Mexico showed that good teams can come into Saprissa and knock off the Ticos, I expect that the home side will be able to pull out the win over Uruguay.


There’s definitely plenty more on tap tomorrow, but I think I got most of the big stuff covered. Enjoy your Saturday everybody.

Tuesdays are just terrible, terrible days. I would much rather be here, updating and commentating on the news of the day with you good people, but that's not what my job pays me to do.

Hence, this little afternoon shout is all about the work of others, because I don't want you to think I'm neglecting you.

Go read the excerpt released for Grant Wahl's upcoming book on David Beckham. It's intriguing stuff. I hope to have both a commentary on the except selection tonight and a commentary on the full version in the near future. There's plenty to talk about with MLS, the Galaxy, and all of the relevant parties. It should make for an interesting summer in LA (and leads me to a conclusion on Donovan, but that's for later).

There's word the CONCACAF is pulling their clubs out of the Copa Sudamericana. I haven't really had a chance to think about what this means, but it's obviously a move by Blazer & Co. to give Mexican clubs more incentive to care about the CONCACAF Champions League. The note about the confederation meeting in November to review CONCACAF (meaning Mexico because they're the only ones involved right now) clubs' participating in the Copa Libertadores is very interesting.

Goff has updated the TV numbers for the Confed Cup final, and they're just a little different than what we heard yesterday. I still don't think it completely represents the audience that watched that game. Here's a Seattle Times Sounders blog post on how those numbers stack up in American soccer TV history.

One last note before I go: Am I the only one that wonders why we haven't heard even one Donovan transfer rumor? Either MLS has the guy on complete lockdown and the whole world knows it, or the clubs interested have managed to keep it quiet. Maybe there's just no interest.

Mexico and CONMEBOL have officially kissed and made up, with confirmation coming through today's announcement that El Tri has been invited to participate in the 2011 Copa America tournament and their clubs in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.

I mentioned the coming reconciliation last week, when news broke that representatives from CONMEBOL would meet with the FMF leadership at the FIFA conferences taking place in the Bahamas.

The implication that a Mexican "defection" from all things South American futbol might benefit CONCACAF is now just a fleeting memory. The pull to compete with the best the hemisphere was obviously simply too much for the FMF, and the South Americans clearly made it worth their while to return to the fold. This includes placing the Mexican clubs that pulled out of the Copa Libertadores this year directly into the round of sixteen for next year's tournament, the aforementioned Copa America invite, and a the potential of hosting the 2015 installment of that competition.

I've run out of insight on this issue, other than to say that things may not always be stable in CONCACAF when it comes to Mexico; I'm unsure on how FIFA would view a request on their part to become full members of CONMEBOL, so I'll refrain from making comments in that "what if" direction.

Mexico continues to look south, rather than north, for any significant club competition. It's hard to blame them for that attitude at the moment, and it won't be until MLS clubs are able to more properly compete financially with FMF sides that the focus will change.

Even then, the situation may remain as it is.

The sidebar to this story is that the United States was not invited to play in the next Copa America. Unfortunately, the young side Bob Bradley took with him to that tournament in 2007 did the US no favors; CONMEBOL was reportedly none too happy to see an American "B" team (or "C" perhaps), and that surely factored into the lack of an invite this time around. Instead, Japan will return to the field.

Officials from Mexico's FMF and CONMEBOL will meet in Nassau during the FIFA meetings taking place June 1st, with an eye towards working out the differences that saw Mexican teams pull out of the Copa Libertadores.

This appears to be the first step in an effort by the South American confederation to make nice with the big money FMF, an effort that will eventually end with Mexican clubs back in the big-time Libertadores.

While that may be good news for fans of the Mexican game (especially those that support big clubs), it's not necessarily the best news for fans of other CONCACAF leagues.

With Mexico shunning CONMEBOL, there were some that the the CONCACAF Champions League would benefit; without the carrot of the much more prestigious Copa Libertadores, those those would be more likely to treat their own confederation's top club as a tournament worth winning. That could only be a good thing for Major League Soccer, the Costa Rican league, and others around the region. More attention in Mexico means more money, which would theoretically raise the prestige of the CCL.

It's hard to blame the FMF, however, if they are in fact receptive to CONMEBOL and end up jumping right back into bed with them. CONMEBOL is where the biggest clubs in this hemisphere are, and Mexico's vision of itself (as a giant footballing country) means that pride will more than likely win out over principal.

Expect CONMEBOL to say something like:

"We apologize if you were offended. Our clubs were simply concerned about the Swine Flu, and it was not meant in disrespect to you or your clubs. We hope you accept our invitation to return to our competition, as we believe that Mexican clubs add richly to it.".

At which point the FMF will nod thoughtfully and say:

"We accept your apology, and humbly accept your invitation, as we wish to resume our relationship with CONMEBOL. Mexican futbol is among the best in the world, and we are honored to have the opportunity to test ourselves against the storied clubs of South America."

Handshake, smile, handshke...

And voila! It's like it never happened.

Too bad for CONCACAF.

I'm confused this morning. And not just because I spent an hour and a half exposed to the inanity that is the Winning Ugly Radio Show last night. I'm confused because I've just read something that baffles me completely.

A little background if you will:

If you pay attention to soccer in this hemisphere, you're probably aware of Copa Libertadores, Mexico, and the fallout over the H1N1 virus. Mexican clubs have now pulled out of the competition after a massive overreaction by CONMEBOL clubs that some are labeling "discrimination". The South American competition, perhaps the second most prestigious club tournament in the world, far outweighed the CONCACAF Champions Cup (and now League) for Mexican clubs, and rightly so. Mexico's withdrawal has opened a giant can of football worms, and things are very up in the air on the FMF's tournament future.

CONMEBOL may have burned their bridge to Mexico for good, and CONCACAF could be the beneficiary. If Mexican clubs can longer look for glory in the Copa Libertadores, it stands to reason the the CONCACAF Champions League will take on greater importance.

But that's not why I called you all here today. Instead, I'd like to highlight a single paragraph from a story on the above situation that appeared yesterday on the Guardian Online. Said piece was written by one Matt Scott, and while I have no previous knowledge of the man, who might be worth talking to. Apparently he knows some things that I don't.

The paragraph:

That (the withdrawal of FMF clubs from the Copa Libertadores) will push it into the embrace of Concacaf and the MLS, whose long-term strategy, Fifa permitting, is to include Mexican clubs in its competition in a move that would make the US league a genuine global player in terms of supporter interest and revenue.

Did you catch it? Read it again.

Huh? Major League Soccer's long term strategy is to include Mexican clubs in its competition? Since when?

I assume you're as confused as I am, or perhaps you've quickly surmised that Mr. Scott has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. Previous to the paragraph above, he also states the Mexico plays in CONMEBOL (at least that's what I think he meant; I suppose he could have been attempting to say that Mexican clubs play in the Libertadores, which is a CONMEBOL competition, but that's a big leap to make from the sentence he wrote).

Maybe he meant SuperLiga. Maybe he got confused about the relationship between MLS and the FMF. Maybe it was an honest mistake, the result of a convoluted federation/region/club situation on this side of the Atlantic.

Maybe the Guardian needs to review its articles just a little better, and maybe they should kindly advise Mr. Scott not to write about soccer in the Americas.

Or am I missing something here, and this is some comedy piece disguised as proper soccer writing?